Aliens: Infiltrator - Weston Osche

[BlueMarsalis79]

Yes unfortunately.

[Crew Expendable]

I finished the book this morning and I have to say I liked it enough. I don't see Infiltrator blowing anyone away like Alex White's novels but it remains a solid Aliens story with interesting ideas. If I had to compare this work to other Alien novels I would put it around Alien: Prototype. It teases lots of interesting things but I don't know if the payoffs will work for everybody, the novel sort of suffers from its own nature as a prequel. Infiltrator feels like a blend of Aliens and John Carpenter's The Thing, I'd definitely recommend it to fans looking for new Alien content to read. It adds new Xeno types and alien creatures (referred to as small-x xenos), but if you expected a revealing look into what we will be seeing in Aliens: Fireteam you will be left wanting.

[Xenomrph]

I asked Andrew Gaska how the RPG handles Arcturians and it kinda goes both ways (pun unintended). He says there are gender-fluid near-humans known as Arcturians, but there are also indigenous "Arctura" that are basically the Arcturians from the old Leading Edge RPG.

[PAS Spinelli]

I finished the book this morning and I have to say I liked it enough. I don't see Infiltrator blowing anyone away like Alex White's novels but it remains a solid Aliens story with interesting ideas. If I had to compare this work to other Alien novels I would put it around Alien: Prototype. It teases lots of interesting things but I don't know if the payoffs will work for everybody, the novel sort of suffers from its own nature as a prequel. Infiltrator feels like a blend of Aliens and John Carpenter's The Thing, I'd definitely recommend it to fans looking for new Alien content to read. It adds new Xeno types and alien creatures (referred to as small-x xenos), but if you expected a revealing look into what we will be seeing in Aliens: Fireteam you will be left wanting.

Are the Xenos from some engineer ruins or are they being made via black goo by the staff experimenting  on it? And while on the topic of that, if any Xenos showed up, what names are they using for the species? Is it just Xenomorph (wrong), Xenomorph XX121 (correct one) or the Alien RPG/Cold Forge scientific name? (Praepotens and stuff, which is also correct)

[BlueMarsalis79]

I asked Andrew Gaska how the RPG handles Arcturians and it kinda goes both ways (pun unintended). He says there are gender-fluid near-humans known as Arcturians, but there are also indigenous "Arctura" that are basically the Arcturians from the old Leading Edge RPG.

I never had the Leading Edge RPG so you will have to clarify that.

[Local Trouble]

https://www.avpgalaxy.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/Aliens-RPG-Core-Rulebook.pdf

[BlueMarsalis79]

Arctura do not have human like intelligence then.

[Crew Expendable]

I finished the book this morning and I have to say I liked it enough. I don't see Infiltrator blowing anyone away like Alex White's novels but it remains a solid Aliens story with interesting ideas. If I had to compare this work to other Alien novels I would put it around Alien: Prototype. It teases lots of interesting things but I don't know if the payoffs will work for everybody, the novel sort of suffers from its own nature as a prequel. Infiltrator feels like a blend of Aliens and John Carpenter's The Thing, I'd definitely recommend it to fans looking for new Alien content to read. It adds new Xeno types and alien creatures (referred to as small-x xenos), but if you expected a revealing look into what we will be seeing in Aliens: Fireteam you will be left wanting.

Are the Xenos from some engineer ruins or are they being made via black goo by the staff experimenting  on it? And while on the topic of that, if any Xenos showed up, what names are they using for the species? Is it just Xenomorph (wrong), Xenomorph XX121 (correct one) or the Alien RPG/Cold Forge scientific name? (Praepotens and stuff, which is also correct)

Where do the Xenos come from?

Spoiler

The Xenomorphs are delivered to the Pala Station from an off site location. New types are created by injecting the Pathogen into the alien eggs and injecting the Pathogen into some of the human test subjects. Unfortunately there is no Engineer ruins but multiple times the book hints that the facility is larger than any of the characters realize.

[close]

What are the Xenos called?

Spoiler

The aliens are referred to mainly as Xenomorphs, although a scientist character acknowledges the improper use of the term, they further separate the species with the XX121 aliens as Big-X Xenos and other separate species as small-x xenos. I think the Praepotens moniker is used once but I would need to find the exact page so I don't misquote myself.

[close]

[PAS Spinelli]

Where do the Xenos come from?

Spoiler

The Xenomorphs are delivered to the Pala Station from an off site location. New types are created by injecting the Pathogen into the alien eggs and injecting the Pathogen into some of the human test subjects. Unfortunately there is no Engineer ruins but multiple times the book hints that the facility is larger than any of the characters realize.

[close]

What are the Xenos called?

Spoiler

The aliens are referred to mainly as Xenomorphs, although a scientist character acknowledges the improper use of the term, they further separate the species with the XX121 aliens as Big-X Xenos and other separate species as small-x xenos. I think the Praepotens moniker is used once but I would need to find the exact page so I don't misquote myself.

[close]

Nice, so that means that

Spoiler

My speculation that the mutant looking Spitter and Bursters come from infected hosts is kinda true

[close]

And whoever that scientist is, I love him

[BlueMarsalis79]

Light spoilers for the first three Infiltrator Chapters:

Spoiler

"Most of the residents of L V two twenty three."

Wait what?! (Audiobook Version)

[close]

[Ultramorph]

Now you have my attention. 

[Xenomrph]

Wait

Spoiler

are Arcturians in Infiltrator? Gaska says they weren't in his proofing copy.

[close]

?

[BlueMarsalis79]

Now you have my attention. 

Spoiler

So far it's just told us that it's basically turned into a world completely covered with trash (that  people live on) and nothing else, so either it's an arbitrary planet with that designation assigned to it, to hide the location of the real one- or if I'm right in terms of the timeline it just overwrote Fire and Stone etcetera.

[close]

Wait

Spoiler

are Arcturians in Infiltrator? Gaska says they weren't in his proofing copy.

[close]

?

Not as far as I am aware anyway, just a separate discussion around this, and what direction this goes in.

[SM]

It says Arcturians exist as another sapient species trading with human beings and such, shit that doesn't belong in Alien.

Does it, though?

We f**k them, but trading with them is right out!

[BlueMarsalis79]

I'm not certain who in particular you're replying to SM:

I asked Andrew Gaska how the RPG handles Arcturians and it kinda goes both ways (pun unintended). He says there are gender-fluid near-humans known as Arcturians, but there are also indigenous "Arctura" that are basically the Arcturians from the old Leading Edge RPG.

But I am fine with this.

Just not with the idea of extraterrestrial human like sapience or sentience in Alien.